Seven Children Taken Away From "Fat Family"

A couple have had all seven of their children taken away from them, including a newborn baby, apparently over fears some of the kids are too fat.

Social workers took the day-old baby girl from her mother's arms in hospital this week, reportedly because they were worried she could be at risk of becoming obese.

Apparently some of her kids are seriously overweight. A 14-year-old boy is 16st, a 13-year-old girl is 12st and a five-year-old girl is 4st.

Three other children, boys aged 11 and three and a girl aged nine are not overweight.

Taking a newborn baby off her mother seems incredibly cruel and harsh - but social workers say they are acting in the children's best interests.

The Mirror says the couple, from Dundee, were warned to sort out the children's weight problems through diet and exercise, but failed.

Two of the kids were then put in foster homes and a third went along voluntarily to keep an eye on them.

But now a children's panel has decided to take all the kids into care.

The Mirror says the 40-year-old mother, who was 23st when she fell pregnant, wept and said "I want my babies."

A friend told the newspaper: "She's inconsolable that they could do such a thing to her. She doesn't know what to do next.

"The family feels that they have done enough to help their kids and try to keep their weight down. They love their kids so much. It's a mother's worst nightmare."

However, local authorities are reported to have spent more than £100,000 on the family in an effort to sort out the problem.

A city council spokesman would not comment in any detail on the case, but told the Mirror: "We have made it clear that children would not be removed from a family environment just because of a weight issue.

"Any decision about a child's situation is given full and careful consideration. It is never taken lightly and always at the forefront is what is the best course of action for the child or children."

To be fair, social workers are always being criticised for not acting quickly enough.

What do you think? Are we getting the full story here? Should children be removed from their parents because they are overweight?